They weren’t expected to be in this position, but here they are. The Minot Vistas are two wins away from winning a state championship.

Against the odds, Conor Taney shutdown the Fargo Post 2 in a do-or-die elimination game. The second consecutive elimination game Minot was won, they defeat Williston 9-6 on Friday.

The Vistas reward for beating the last undefeated team left in the state tournament? A game with the team they lost to in the second round that got them shuffled into the loser’s bracket.

Bismarck beat Minot 5-2 on Thursday, but then lost to Post 2 Friday, 5-0. In extra innings, Bismarck withstood West Fargo 2-1 to reach the semifinals, or better said, a play-in game with the Vistas to face Post 2 in the championship game.

Coach Pat Arntson is hoping the victory over Post 2 on Saturday can give his team the confidence they need to rattle off two more wins and claim the championship. However, getting past Bismarck and Post 2 again won’t be easy, but it’s possible.

“We need something like today,” Arntson said on beating Bismarck. “We saw that when we pitched well at their place and beat them (earlier in the season), but our guys were just too amped up when we played them in the tournament the first time. So, I think they are a little more relaxed and they see now that they don’t have to do anything crazy.”